KANSAS CITY, Mo. — WIN for KC hosts its annual Camp Win with the goal of encouraging girls to try new sports and stick with them, and one camp graduate returned to the camp following her success story.
Kendal Ford said she learned years ago at Camp Win that in life, there are wins and losses, and to stay strong no matter if things are going your way.
"I lost, but it's OK because I can always go again," she told one camper on Thursday.
She's passing that knowledge onto current campers, who range in age from 6 to 12. Ford, a college student, is a team lead for Win for KC. She's helping run the camp.
"I always had an interest in sports," she said. "I did basketball and some soccer growing up, but once I came here, I was able to try different things."
Ford said she jumped her first hurdle at Camp Win and went on to compete in track in high school.
“I like when they (campers) come up to me at the end of the day and say they signed up for a new sport or they found a new interest," she said. "It really aligns with how I felt because I found a new interest here, and then I took it beyond the camp and did it in high school.”
Campers will try 14 different sports over the course of four days.
"At Camp Win, our goal is to address the statistic that girls drop out of sports at two times the rate of boys at the age of 15," said Win for KC director Taylor Obersteadt.
Campers will also learn life skills that go beyond the field.
"We talk about leadership and how to be a teammate, how to focus on your mental health and well-being," Obersteadt said.
Ford said she built confidence at the camp.
"It was a really good experience for me," she said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.